{"title":"Football","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781785904660","title":"When Footballers Were Skint","description":"Long before perma-tanned football agents and TV mega-rights ushered in the age of the multimillionaire player, footballers’ wages were capped – even the game’s biggest names earned barely more than a plumber or electrician.   Footballing legends such as Tom Finney and Stanley Matthews shared a bond of borderline penury with the huge crowds they entertained on Saturday afternoons, on pitches that were a world away from the pristine lawns of the game’s modern era. Instead of the gleaming sports cars driven by today’s top players, the stars of yesteryear travelled to matches on public transport and returned to homes every bit as modest as those of their supporters. Players and fans would even sometimes be next-door neighbours in a street of working-class terraced houses.   Based on the first-hand accounts of players from a fastdisappearing generation, When Footballers Were Skint delves into the game’s rich heritage and relates the fascinating story of a truly great sporting era.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43205058756786,"sku":"9781785904660","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781785904660.jpg?v=1786025963"},{"product_id":"9781786184955","title":"Rocky of the Rovers: Game Changer","description":"\u003cb\u003eIT'S A ROCKY ROAD! \u003ci\u003eGame Changer\u003c\/i\u003e is the eighth book in the football-tastic \u003ci\u003eRoy of the Rovers\u003c\/i\u003e illustrated fiction series, and the second \u003ci\u003eRocky of the Rovers \u003c\/i\u003estory. Part of the third season, this exciting series is written by award-winning author Tom Palmer.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe newly formed \u003cb\u003eMelchester Women’s team\u003c\/b\u003e are going from strength to strength in their first full season of professional football, lead by the tenacious Rocky Race. But behind the scenes, the morale of the club is low. After a shocking incident in a men's European game, and the recent Race family tragedy, Rocky, her brother Roy, and the whole club is struggling to deal with the aftermath. What’s more, she's fighting with Ffion her friend! Can she maintain her match-winning performances? How is she supposed to deal with everything that’s happened? And just \u003ci\u003ewhere\u003c\/i\u003e does her footballing future lie? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnjoyed this title? Pick up \u003ci\u003eThe £100 Million Game\u003c\/i\u003e next to continue the story!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for the Roy of the Rovers series:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eEPIC! - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMatch of the Day Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eI love the way that they are about so much more than football: they are about heart, values and family. Both graphic novel and fiction titles are compelling, engaging and a lot of fun. Lace up and get reading. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJim Sells, Programme manager for Sport \u0026amp; Literacy, National Literacy Trust\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eRead with my 7 year old who is football mad, really enjoyed it and left us wanting to read the next one in the series! - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGoodReads Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43206235488434,"sku":"9781786184955","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781786184955_92545217-25aa-4931-b9f2-1d7512d5ef1d.jpg?v=1786026003"},{"product_id":"9780007175758","title":"Calcio","description":"The first history of Italian football to be written in English, ‘Calcio’ is a mix of serious analysis and comic storytelling, with vivid descriptions of games, goals, dives, missed penalties, riots and scandals in the richest and toughest league in the world.‘Calcio’ tells the story of Italian football from its origins in the 1890’s to the present day. It takes us through a history of great players and teams, of style, passion and success, but also of violence, cynicism, catenaccio tactics and corruption.We meet the personalities that have shaped this history – from the Italian heroes to the foreigners that failed, the model professionals to the mavericks. ‘Calcio’ evokes the triumphs (the 1982 World Cup victory) and the tragedies (Meroni, the 'Italian George Best', killed by his number one fan), set against a backdrop of paranoia and intrigue, in a country where the referee is seen as corrupt until proven otherwise.Calcio is no longer a game. It is sometimes difficult to define it as a sport. It is certainly big business and a fanatical civic religion. There is no moral code here. Winners are always right, losers always wrong. This history of Italian football reveals all about the richest and toughest league in the world.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56219830911349,"sku":"9780007175758","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780007175758_7e19fe3f-d3f4-4518-9d4b-d95ad464c1c0.jpg?v=1786011013"},{"product_id":"9780008215552","title":"The Mixer","description":"An absolutely essential book for every modern football fan, about the development of Premier League tactics, published to coincide with 25 years of the competition.Back in 1992, English football was stuck in the dark ages, emerging from a five-year ban from European competition. The game was physical, bruising and attritional, based on strength over speed, aggression over finesse. It was the era of the midfield general, reducers, big men up front and getting it in the mixer; 4-4-2 was the order of the day. Few teams experimented tactically.And then, almost overnight, it all changed. The creation of the Premier League coincided with one of the most seismic rule changes in football history: the abolition of the back-pass. Suddenly defenders had no-get-out-of-jail-free card, goalkeepers had to be able to field and play the ball and the pace of the game quickened immeasurably. Tactics evolved dramatically, helped by an increased foreign influence.The Mixer is the first book to delve deep into the tactical story of the Premier League, and take a long view of how the game has developed over the last quarter century. From Ferguson’s directness to Keegan’s relentlessly attacking Newcastle outfit, to Mourinho’s cagey, reactive Chelsea, all the way to Ranieri’s counter-attacking champions, The Mixer is one of the most entertaining, rich and knowledgeable football books ever written.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56221293609333,"sku":"9780008215552","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008215552_e6b9354b-bd60-432a-9316-5aca56783a4d.jpg?v=1785658541"},{"product_id":"9780008484071","title":"Expected Goals","description":"Shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2022Football has always measured success by what you win, but only in the last twenty years have clubs started to think about how you win. Data has now suffused almost every aspect of how football is played, coached, scouted and consumed. But it’s not the algorithms or new metrics that have made this change, it’s the people behind them.This is the story of modern football’s great data revolution and the group of curious, entrepreneurial personalities who zealously believed in its potential to transform the game. Central to this cast is Chris Anderson, an academic with no experience in football, who saw data as an opportunity to fundamentally change a sport that did not think it could be changed. His aim: to infiltrate the strange, insular world of professional football by establishing a club whose entire DNA could be built around data.Expected Goals charts his remarkable journey into the heart of the modern game and reveals how clubs across the world, from Liverpool to Leipzig and Brentford to Bayern Munich, began to see how data could help them unearth new players, define radical tactics and plot their path to glory.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56221612474741,"sku":"9780008484071","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008484071_e8af679d-95c2-4734-a366-5c2c5fed42a0.jpg?v=1785658880"},{"product_id":"9780008489199","title":"Red on Red","description":"The untold story of the most contested fixture in world football‘A must read.’ Henry Winter'Superb.' Daniel TaylorLiverpool and Manchester. Two gloriously independent-minded, eclectic, culturally vibrant places. Yet the inhabitants dislike each other with a passion that is visceral. It is a divide that spans generations, across class, gender and ethnicity. And it has grown over the years, largely driven by one thing: football.The dark, malignant loathing shared by the followers of Liverpool and Manchester United has seeped into every aspect of life in the two cities. Football is not a barometer of disdain, as it is in places like Glasgow or Istanbul or Moscow. In northwest England, it is the engine of animosity.How did it come to this? Why did things turn so nasty? And what does it say about the two cities in which the clubs are based?Written by a Scouser and a Manc in a rare collaboration, Red on Red addresses the divide by talking to those involved in ten seminal football matches. It speaks to the characters who patrolled and provoked the rivalry: Alex Ferguson, Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard and Gary Neville, among many others. Also questioned are the fans, the administrators, the referees, the police, and politicians. And through each legendary game, its authors tell the full story of the most extraordinary division not just in football, but in modern Britain.This is Red on Red, a rivalry like no other.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56221701439861,"sku":"9780008489199","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008489199_4de7da18-1ee0-4b2c-a0b4-9a8dce0ac311.jpg?v=1785658955"},{"product_id":"9780008559625","title":"Soccernomics (World Cup Edition)","description":"‘Magnificent… Freakonomics for football’ – GuardianFootball truly is the world’s favourite game, followed in over 200 countries by hundreds of millions of people pouring their hearts and souls into supporting their chosen team every week.But behind the passion are questions that all true football aficionados want answered: has football spending spun out of control? How much do managers matter? Is hosting a World Cup a poisoned chalice?Fully revised and updated ahead of the 2022 World Cup, Soccernomics is the revolutionary guide from an economist and a sports writer who answer all these questions and more.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56221805511029,"sku":"9780008559625","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008559625_13c9551e-f83d-4cf5-bf71-4715b71421ab.jpg?v=1785659009"},{"product_id":"9780008648077","title":"What It Takes","description":"Winning strategies from the three-time European Championship winner and the only football coach ever to reach the final of five international tournaments.As FIFA's most decorated female football manager and a former player, Sarina Wiegman has led both the Netherlands and England women's national teams to historic victories. She stands out as a true pioneer in the game, and her coaching philosophy has earned her a reputation as one of the most successful coaches in football history.This personal account of Sarina's life journey begins with her early passion for football, and covers her key moments on the pitch as well as her ascension to the top of the coaching world. Join Sarina as she talks us through her rollercoaster ride of victories and challenges, the tough decisions she had to make both on and off the pitch, and the relentless pursuit of excellence that saw her rise to become an indomitable figure in the world of sports.And, it’s not just about the game. In a world where football has become more competitive than ever, Sarina's revolutionary approach to leadership, mentorship, and performance management has garnered global attention. In What It Takes we gain invaluable insight into Sarina’s unique philosophy, as she shares how she fostered an environment that values determination, teamwork, and mutual respect. A strong advocate for women in the sport, she outlines a transformative and inclusive future for football where everyone has an equal chance to shine, irrespective of gender.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56221876093301,"sku":"9780008648077","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008648077_8570650f-5a7a-4fe0-a79a-ce970cb8abdb.jpg?v=1785658998"},{"product_id":"9780008646516","title":"Revolution","description":"THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERArsenal are Premier League champions. Revolution is the inside story of how they got there.When Mikel Arteta took over in December 2019, Arsenal were drifting – disconnected from their identity, short on belief and stuck outside the elite. What followed was not an overnight revival, but a bold, often brutal rebuild.From FA Cup glory and fan unrest to ruthless calls, tactical innovation and the rise of a brilliant young side, Revolution charts how Arteta reshaped Arsenal and led them back to the summit of English football.With insight into his philosophy, methods, transfer strategy and in-game tactics, this is the inside account of how Mikel Arteta turned Arsenal into champions.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56221929111925,"sku":"9780008646516","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008646516_88bd634d-7aa3-4444-8298-1bafacb2519b.jpg?v=1785658942"},{"product_id":"9780008708313","title":"The Mixer","description":"An absolutely essential book for every modern football fan, about the development of Premier League tactics, published to coincide with 25 years of the competition.Back in 1992, English football was stuck in the dark ages, emerging from a five-year ban from European competition. The game was physical, bruising and attritional, based on strength over speed, aggression over finesse. It was the era of the midfield general, reducers, big men up front and getting it in the mixer; 4-4-2 was the order of the day. Few teams experimented tactically.And then, almost overnight, it all changed. The creation of the Premier League coincided with one of the most seismic rule changes in football history: the abolition of the back-pass. Suddenly defenders had no-get-out-of-jail-free card, goalkeepers had to be able to field and play the ball and the pace of the game quickened immeasurably. Tactics evolved dramatically, helped by an increased foreign influence.The Mixer is the first book to delve deep into the tactical story of the Premier League, and take a long view of how the game has developed over the last quarter century. From Ferguson’s directness to Keegan’s relentlessly attacking Newcastle outfit, to Mourinho’s cagey, reactive Chelsea, all the way to Ranieri’s counter-attacking champions, The Mixer is one of the most entertaining, rich and knowledgeable football books ever written.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56221958734197,"sku":"9780008708313","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008708313_cbab843a-7bfa-44a5-b959-3055bc4f1dc7.jpg?v=1785658695"},{"product_id":"9780008741006","title":"Waking the Giant","description":"The true story of one football club's astonishing return to the top                                Featuring exclusive interviews with Jack Grealish, John McGinn, Ollie Watkins, Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa, along with many other key figures                    Aston Villa are Europa League champions and cementing their place among England's elite — a club utterly transformed, and still rising.             But not so long ago the club was staring into the abyss. Locked in a cash crisis triggered by defeat in the Championship play-off final, one of English football's most historic and successful clubs stood on the brink of financial catastrophe.             Waking The Giant takes you inside one of the most extraordinary revival acts in modern football, from the last-minute takeover by billionaire duo Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens which saved the club, through the promotion and equally remarkable Premier League survival inspired by boyhood supporter Dean Smith, to the return to European football under Unai Emery — and the foundations laid for the triumphs that have followed.             To understand how Villa lifted a European trophy and reclaimed their seat at the top table of English football, you first need to understand the journey. This is where it began.             It is a tale of triumph plucked from the jaws of despair, several times over, with Villa frequently defying the odds to keep climbing — a club rebuilt from the ground up, piece by piece, until the unthinkable became inevitable.             From club record runs to great escapes from relegation and British record transfers, this is a rollercoaster ride not to be missed.             Featuring exclusive interviews with:          Jack GrealishJohn McGinnOllie WatkinsTyrone MingsEzri KonsaAlbert AdomahDamian Vidagany, Director of Football OperationsJesus Garcia Pitarch, former sporting directorDean Smith, former managerKeith Wyness, former CEO          And dozens of other off-the-record conversations with key figures, managers, coaches, players and staff.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56221995106677,"sku":"9780008741006","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008741006_3ff645bb-51af-4441-940e-4f9a34cd19b8.jpg?v=1786011079"},{"product_id":"9780008726119","title":"Bring on United","description":"How Manchester United conquered all, by the players who won everything                                ______________________________________________________________                                With a foreword by Ruud van Nistelrooy                                An Irish Times Bestseller                    The Champions League, the Club World Cup, 6 Premier League Titles, 1 FA Cup, 3 League Cups, 4 Community Shields, 1 legendary manager. From Rio to Rome, 2000–2010.             This is the story of one of the greatest eras in the history of England’s most successful club, told through the eyes of the players who made it happen. Not just the big wins, the cup finals and the trophy parades, but the half-time rows, the mad pranks, the boozy nights out and the training-ground bust-ups.             Andy Mitten has tracked down eleven of the stars from those Premier League and Champions League winning teams to open the door to both the dressing room and the boardroom at Old Trafford as the club cemented its status as the dominant force in English football.             Bring on United is an astonishingly candid and revealing insight into the workings of a relentless winning machine. More than that, it’s as lively and entertaining a sports book as you’ll ever read.                         Featuring exclusive interviews with Nemanja Vidic, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Patrice Evra, Gary Neville, Dimitar Berbatov, Jaap Stam, John O’Shea, Wes Brown, Dwight Yorke, Diego Forlán and Ryan Giggs.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56222022664565,"sku":"9780008726119","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780008726119_efa21a95-5d35-45c2-a88e-a3244eb94331.jpg?v=1785659036"},{"product_id":"9780099492269","title":"How Football Explains The World","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhat in the world has the power to liberate women in Iran while provoking antagonism between Catholics and Protestants in Scotland, to lure Nigerians to the cold of the Ukraine while heating up class warfare in the US heartlands, and both profit local gangsters and create local - and international - celebrities? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFoer presents an unexpected, uniquely revealing tour of the politics and culture of football from Milan to Tehran. He examines the game's role in sustaining ancient hatreds and rivalries (Serbia's Red Star and Croatia's Dinamo); in supporting the migration of players and the rise of the football oligarchs (such as Silvio Berlusconi, President of AC Milan - and of Italy); and in defending the virtues and vices of old-fashioned nationalism. As Foer brilliantly illuminates, the Balkan War, anti-Semitism, Jewish identity, racism, social integration, media manipulation, and American patriotism have all been influenced by, as well as have had a dramatic effect on, football. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn his travels, Foer encounters a collection of fans that is stranger than fiction: from a British hooligan with a Jewish mother, a Nazi father and a career as a soldier of fortune, to a fan club in Serbia that turns into a brutal anti-Muslim paramilitary unit. The result is an unforgettable parade of uniquely memorable fans - each set into his - or her - unique political and cultural context.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56223261065589,"sku":"9780099492269","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780099492269_7380056d-5377-4614-9b60-46d3fcaf6afd.jpg?v=1786011398"},{"product_id":"9780099598657","title":"Living on the Volcano","description":"*SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2015*\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA man punches the wall in a strategic show of anger. Another complains he has become a stranger to those he loves. A third relies on “my three a day: coffee, Nurofen and a bottle of wine.” Yet another admits he is an oddity, who would prefer to be working in cricket. A fifth describes his professional life as “a circus”. These are football managers, live and uncut. Arsene Wenger likens the job to “living on a volcano: any day may be your last”. He speaks with the authority of being the longest serving manager in the English game, having been at Arsenal for 17 years. The average lifespan of a Football League manager is 17 months. Fifty three managers, across all four Divisions, were sacked, or resigned, in the 2012-13 season. There were fifty seven managerial changes in the 2013-14 season. What makes these men tick? They are familiar figures, who rarely offer anything more than a glimpse into their personal and professional lives. What shapes them? How and why do they do their job? Award-winning writer Michael Calvin provides the answers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInsecurity is a unifying factor, but managers at different levels face different sets of problems. Depending on their status, they are dealing with multi-millionaires, or mortgage slaves. Living on the Volcano charts the progress of more than 20 managers, in different circumstances and in different phases of their career. Some, like Brendan Rodgers and Roberto Martinez, are at the peak of their profession. Others, like Chris Hughton, Brian McDermott and Gary Waddock, have been sacked, and are seeking a way back into the game. They offer a unique insight into a trade which is prone to superficial judgement and savage swings in fortune. Management requires ruthlessness and empathy, idealism and cunning. Stories overlap, experiences intermingle, and myths are exposed.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56223896732021,"sku":"9780099598657","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780099598657_d7f4a2f5-7ded-4ab8-9646-8fcd6bf75ea4.jpg?v=1786011747"},{"product_id":"9780141015828","title":"The Ball is Round","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE DEFINITIVE, CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED BOOK ABOUT FOOTBALL\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e'Football conquered the world with its capacity to astonish, and this is its definitive history' \u003ci\u003eThe Independent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere may be no cultural practice more global than soccer. Rites of birth and marriage are infinitely diverse, but the rules of soccer are universal. No world religion can match its geographical scope. The single greatest simultaneous human collective experience is the World Cup final.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of football's rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world's most popular sport. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Ball Is Round\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e illuminates football's role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e___________________________________\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eGoldblatt\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003ewrites with authority, humour, and passion\u003c\/b\u003e, not least in the accounts of famous or significant matches scattered throughout the book' \u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Since it became a worldwide phenomenon, nobody has attempted to write an overall history of the game. Now David \u003cb\u003eGoldblatt's stunning book will be the measure against which all other such volumes are judged'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'Goldblatt's magnum opus . . . \u003cb\u003eAnyone with a brain and an interest in football will enjoy this book\u003c\/b\u003e' \u003ci\u003eThe Daily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e (London)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56224239714677,"sku":"9780141015828","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780141015828_777fec5d-6cac-48ac-b859-f4e18a55b3fe.jpg?v=1786011334"},{"product_id":"9780224064361","title":"The Beautiful Game?","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFootball is at the heart of British culture – yet never has it been in greater turmoil.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOnce, football stood for passion, community, honour, even beauty. The game is in danger of losing its lifeblood - and its soul. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003eThe Beautiful Game?\u003c\/i\u003e David Conn, the game's most respected investigative journalist, sets out on a journey through the heart of our national game, exploring how the sport has failed - and who is to blame. This is a book for those who keep the faith, who believe that the sport itself, stripped of the greed and self-interest blighting its organisation, still has values, and can still be beautiful.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘For a fascinating insight into the causes, and the creators, of the game's ills this is a superbly told tale’ \u003ci\u003eIndependent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56227159015797,"sku":"9780224064361","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780224064361_6e7d3172-f295-4a50-9b8d-b39b4a5062f2.jpg?v=1786012935"},{"product_id":"9780224100144","title":"Das Reboot","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win’ Gary Lineker\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003ePacked with exclusive interviews with key protagonists, Raphael Honigstein’s book lifts the lid on the secrets of German football’s success.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e13th July 2014, World Cup Final, the last ten minutes of extra time. \u003c\/b\u003eGermany forward Mario Götze, receiving a floated pass from his international teammate André Schürrle, jumps slightly to meet the ball and cushion it with his chest. Landing on his left foot, he takes a step with his right, swivels, and in one fluid motion, without the ball touching the ground, volleys it past the onrushing Argentine goalkeeper into the far corner of the net. The goal wins Germany the World Cup for the first time in almost twenty-five years. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In \u003ci\u003eDas Reboot\u003c\/i\u003e, journalist and television pundit Raphael Honigstein charts the return of German football - how did German football transform itself from its efficient, but unappealing and defensively minded traditions to the free-flowing, attacking football that was on display during the last World Cup? The answer takes him from California to Stuttgart, from Munich to the Maracaná, via Dortmund and Durban. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘German football boasts not only the World Cup, but superb writers…A fin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ee account of how Germany reclaimed hegemony’\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56227172188533,"sku":"9780224100144","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780224100144_0cbc819c-9c38-44b4-a52c-667ccee57c2d.jpg?v=1786012207"},{"product_id":"9780224100458","title":"The Fall of the House of Fifa","description":"\u003cb\u003e'A superb go-to guide for anyone seeking context on why Qatar won the 2022 World Cup bid' \u003ci\u003eDaily Express\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Fall of the House of Fifa\u003c\/i\u003e is the definitive story of Fifa's rise and the most spectacular fall sport has ever seen.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor forty years Joao Havelange and then Sepp Blatter presided over a Fifa now plagued with scandal - dawn raids, FBI investigations, allegations of money laundering, industrial-scale bribery, racketeering, tax evasion, vote-buying and theft. Now David Conn, football's most respected investigative journalist, chronicles the extraordinary history and staggering scale of corruption. He paints revealing portraits of the men at the centre of Fifa - the power brokers, the indicted, the legends like Franz Beckenbauer and Michel Platini - and puts the allegations to Blatter himself in an extended interview.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56227172352373,"sku":"9780224100458","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780224100458_2eb7a3ec-c053-45eb-9ffa-646032b480f8.jpg?v=1786032649"},{"product_id":"9780224083348","title":"One Night in Turin","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'This could well be the best book ever written about football' \u003ci\u003eTime Out\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe memoir behind the documentary \u003ci\u003eOne Night in Turin, \u003c\/i\u003ethe inside story of a World Cup that changed our footballing nation forever.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was the World Cup semi-finals. On 4th July, 1990, in a stadium in Turin, Gazza cried, England lost and football changed forever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is the inside story of Italia '90 - we meet the players, the hooligans, the agents, the journalists, the fans. Writer Pete Davies was given nine months full access to the England squad and their manager Bobby Robson. \u003ci\u003eOne Night in Turin\u003c\/i\u003e is his thrilling insider account of the summer when football became the greatest show on earth.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56227250930037,"sku":"9780224083348","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780224083348_a565c1ba-fc34-4a04-bb70-6bb153871265.jpg?v=1786012135"},{"product_id":"9780224100601","title":"The Bottom Corner","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn these days of oligarch owners, superstar managers and players on sky-high wages, the tide is turning towards the lower reaches of the pyramid as fans search for football with a soul.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePlucky underdogs or perennial underachievers, your local non-league team offers hope, drama or at least a Saturday afternoon ritual that's been going for decades. Nige Tassell spends a season in the non-league world. He meets the raffle-ticket seller who wants her ashes scattered in the centre-circle. The envelope salesman who discovered a future England international. The ex-pros still playing with undiluted passion on Sunday mornings. He spends time at clubs looking for promotion to the Football League, clubs just aiming to get eleven players on a pitch every week, and everything in between.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOne thing unites them: they all inhabit the heartland of the beautiful game.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'\u003ci\u003eThe Bottom Corner\u003c\/i\u003e is a wonderful journey through life in the lower reaches of the football pyramid. A fascinating tale of a very different world of football from that of the overpaid stars of the television age' Barry Davies\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56227750248821,"sku":"9780224100601","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780224100601_ed5171e6-5873-43fa-86aa-0616633aa6e5.jpg?v=1786012217"},{"product_id":"9780241355350","title":"Football in Sun and Shadow","description":"\u003cp\u003e'Football is a pleasure that hurts'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis unashamedly emotional history of football is a homage to the romance and drama, spectacle and passion of a 'great pagan mass'. Through stories of superstition, heartbreak, tragedy, luck, heroes and villains, those who lived for football and those who died for it, Eduardo Galeano celebrates the glory of a game that - however much the rich and powerful try to control it - still retains its magic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'The Uruguayan whose writing got right to the heart of football ... readers were never in doubt of the warmth of the blood running through his veins' \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Galeano can run rings round our glamorous football intelligentsia' \u003ci\u003eWhen Saturday Comes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Stands out like Pele on a field of second-stringers' \u003ci\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56227894985077,"sku":"9780241355350","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780241355350_403880a6-3837-4c9b-920b-8199820e1432.jpg?v=1786012735"},{"product_id":"9780241609378","title":"How To Watch Football","description":"\u003cb\u003e'I love Tifo' Ian Wright \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Tifo are great' Alan Shearer\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Tifo have changed the game when it comes to football analysis' Elis James\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRULE #1: DON'T WATCH THE BALL\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes, football is about stars, goals and glory. But it's also about the intense calculations and movements being made by the twenty-one other players on the pitch. It's about the ticking clock, and the bellowing fans, and their impact on player psychology. It's about the coach, the club owner, and the director of football, who are watching, scouting and scheming from the side-lines. It's about money and data, about geopolitics and architecture, and even about climate change.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFootball is the most popular sport in the world, and Tifo Football is one of the world's most popular football channels. In this short, illustrated guide, its creators share fifty-two simple 'rules' for understanding and enjoying the beautiful game-both on and off the pitch.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCovering the key concepts, tactics and philosophies that are shaping the sport today, \u003ci\u003eHow to Watch Football \u003c\/i\u003ereveals surprising new perspectives on familiar elements of gameplay, while highlighting lesser-known aspects of the industry and its history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhether you're a casual fan or a football obsessive, the fifty-two golden rules in this pocket-size guide will deepen your delight in the world's favourite sport.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56230296322421,"sku":"9780241609378","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780241609378_6279eefe-6e88-46bc-80d9-a6077a0b18cc.jpg?v=1786012136"},{"product_id":"9780241978009","title":"How To Watch Football","description":"\u003cp\u003eHow can one striker be better than three? Why do the best defenders never need to make a tackle? What's the secret of Tiki-taka?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWelcome to Ruud Gullit's masterclass on how to 'read' a match.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom his unrivalled perspective as player, manager and pundit, the Dutch football legend shows us everything to look for in a 90 minute match. From formations and tactical decisions to player qualities and pivotal moments, Ruud Gullit unveils the hidden patterns on the pitch.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePacked with his acute insights, original observations and talking points, \u003ci\u003eHow to Watch Football\u003c\/i\u003e will quite simply change the way you see the beautiful game.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56230452986229,"sku":"9780241978009","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780241978009_0ea84153-2c6d-4540-8513-519f709a3e0c.jpg?v=1786012817"},{"product_id":"9780241955260","title":"The Game of Our Lives","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWINNER of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2015\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the last two decades football in Britain has made the transition from a peripheral dying sport to the very centre of our popular culture, from an economic basket-case to a booming entertainment industry. What does it mean when football becomes so central to our private and political lives? Has it enriched us or impoverished us?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this sparkling book David Goldblatt argues that no social phenomenon tracks the momentous economic, social and political changes of the post-Thatcherite era in a more illuminating manner than football, and no cultural practice sheds more light on the aspirations and attitudes of our long boom and now calamitous bust. A must-read for the thinking football fan, \u003ci\u003eThe Game of Our Lives\u003c\/i\u003e will appeal to readers of \u003ci\u003eFever Pitch\u003c\/i\u003e by Nick Hornby and \u003ci\u003eInverting the Pyramid\u003c\/i\u003e by Jonathan Wilson. It will also be relished by readers of British social history such as \u003ci\u003eAusterity Britain\u003c\/i\u003e by David Kynaston. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Brilliantly incisive. Goldblatt is not merely the best football historian writing today, he is possibly the best there has ever been. Goldblatt's book could hardly be more impressive' \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56230796034421,"sku":"9780241955260","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780241955260_56d87b98-82aa-49f5-b442-ef8cacb65fa8.jpg?v=1786012391"},{"product_id":"9780241970492","title":"Invincible","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn 2003-04, Arsenal overcame every conceivable challenge to complete a 38-game league without a single loss. It was a feat unequalled in modern football. But for Arsene Wenger's 'Invincibles', a team including legends Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp, it was a challenge that went far beyond sport.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBased on exclusive players interviews, this definitive book relives the pivotal games and moments, and allows the Invincibles to tell their own story. It takes readers inside the locker room, to reveal the teamwork, the psychology and the struggle behind one of the greatest teams in history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56230885163381,"sku":"9780241970492","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780241970492_25d9827f-064c-4457-a661-12bbcac9d963.jpg?v=1786012677"},{"product_id":"9780241963623","title":"The Numbers Game","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDiscover football's astonishing hidden rules in \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Numbers Game\u003c\/i\u003e by Chris Anderson and David Sally\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e*Fully updated with a new World Cup chapter* \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFootball has always been a numbers game: 4-4-2, the big number 9 and 3 points for a win. But what if up until now we've been focusing on the wrong numbers? What if the numbers that really matter, the ones that hold the key to winning matches, are actually 2.66, 53.4, 50\/50, and 0 \u0026gt; 1? What if managers only make a 15% difference? What if Chelsea should have bought Darren Bent?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this incisive, myth-busting book, Chris Anderson, former goalkeeper turned football statistics guru, and David Sally, former baseball pitcher turned behavioural economist, show that every shred of knowledge we can gather can help us to love football and understand it even more. You'll discover why stopping a goal is more valuable than scoring one, why corners should be taken short, and why it is better to improve your worst player than to buy a superstar.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou'll never play, or watch, a game of football in quite the same way again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Numbers Game\u003c\/i\u003e is essential reading for football fans everywhere and will also appeal to readers who loved \u003ci\u003eMoneyball\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eFreakonomics\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56231365771637,"sku":"9780241963623","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780241963623_162279b5-afd2-4022-9a4e-d9eff476f1b6.jpg?v=1786012567"},{"product_id":"9780241990063","title":"Champagne Football","description":"\u003cb\u003eTHE NO.1 BESTSELLER!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'I read it in one sitting, it's a superb book' Eamon Dunphy,\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Stand \u003c\/i\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A jaw-dropping tale of power and ego going unchecked' \u003ci\u003eTimes,\u003c\/i\u003e Best Sports Books of the Year 2020\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOver the course of fifteen years, John Delaney ran the Football Association of Ireland as his own personal fiefdom. He had his critics, but his power was never seriously challenged until last year, when Mark Tighe and Paul Rowan published a sequence of stories in the \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e containing damaging revelations about his personal compensation and the parlous financial situation of the FAI. Delaney's reputation as a great financial manager was left in tatters. He resigned under pressure, and the FAI was left hoping for a massive bail-out from the Irish taxpayer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eChampagne Football\u003c\/i\u003e, Tighe and Rowan dig deep into the story of Delaney's career and of the FAI's slide into ruin. They show how he surrounded himself with people whose personal loyalty he could count on, and a board that failed to notice that the association's finances were shot. They detail Delaney's skilful cultivation of opinion-formers outside the FAI. And they document the culture of excess that Delaney presided over and benefited from, to the detriment of the organization he led.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChampagne Football\u003c\/i\u003e is a gripping, sometimes darkly hilarious and often enraging piece of reporting by the award-winning journalists who finally pulled back the curtain on the FAI's mismanagement.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWINNER OF THE AN POST IBA SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020\u003cbr\u003e_____________\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Excellent' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eIrish Sun\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A jaw-dropping story ... brilliant' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eIrish Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Essential reading' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eIrish Daily Star\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Astonishing ... Side-splittingly hilarious'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A damming account' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunday Independent\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'An instant classic, one of the all-time great Irish sports books'\u003c\/b\u003e Alan English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Excellent ... includes staggering detail' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A cracking read ... [An] incredible amount of jaw-dropping detail' \u003c\/b\u003eMatt Cooper  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'The most important Irish sports book of the year' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eIrish Daily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A masterpiece' \u003c\/b\u003eTommy Martin\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn absolutely extraordinary book'\u003c\/b\u003e Eoin McDevitt, \u003ci\u003eSecond Captains\u003c\/i\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Remarkable. The desperate story of Irish football but also a book about how Ireland works. Outstanding' \u003c\/b\u003eDion Fanning","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56232028832117,"sku":"9780241990063","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780241990063_783c6e67-326a-4727-a525-7902d691a7c2.jpg?v=1786012251"},{"product_id":"9780330511858","title":"Cantona","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e'An artist, in my eyes, is someone who can lighten up a dark room. I have never and will never find difference between the pass from Pele to Carlos Alberto in the final of the World Cup in 1970, and the poetry of the young Rimbaud' - \u003c\/i\u003eEric Cantona\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Football, and art. Eric Cantona – legend, maverick, troubled artist or just plain trouble – never saw a need to make a distinction between the two. For all the heat and noise surrounding his infamous Crystal Palace 'kung-fu kick', it is for the sheer exuberant beauty of his play that Eric Cantona is chiefly remembered by English football fans. At Leeds United he transformed the team into title contenders, but became a true talisman at Manchester United, where to this day fans sing of 'King Eric'. And yet the effortless style of Cantona's play could not hide a darker side to his temperament. In his own words, 'I play with passion and fire. I have to accept that sometimes, this fire does harm.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn C\u003ci\u003eantona: The Rebel Who Would Be King\u003c\/i\u003e leading French football journlist Philippe Auclair has interviewed over 200 key protagonists in Cantona's career, searching for the man behind the myth. Marrying a deep knowledge of Cantona's impact on the pitch with soulful, pin-sharp insight into the heart and inner thoughts of this most complex of characters, this is nothing less than the definitive biography of a one-time rebel of the French game, who rose to be the King of Old Trafford.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'I'd give all the champagne I've ever drunk to be playing alongside Cantona in a big European match at Old Trafford' - George Best\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56286189158773,"sku":"9780330511858","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780330511858_9e91a627-0d3a-47e2-82c5-dcb96ee52a92.jpg?v=1786013592"},{"product_id":"9780552176774","title":"Allez Allez Allez","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe perfect book for any Liverpool fan!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'WE ARE LIVERPOOL - THIS MEANS MORE.' JÜRGEN KLOPP\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eAllez Allez Allez\u003c\/i\u003e is the inside account of Liverpool FC's 2018\/19 season, a campaign which saw the club compete in the most gripping Premier League title race in history and become Champions of Europe for the sixth time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFeaturing access to management, players and staff, \u003ci\u003eAllez Allez Allez\u003c\/i\u003e explains how Liverpool have emerged from what Jürgen Klopp described as the \"depression\" of 2015 to achieve feats that have eluded an entire generation of supporters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough original research and exclusive interviews, Simon Hughes takes readers into Melwood, the club's training ground, and behind the dressing room door. He takes them to Chapel Street, where the club's business is determined and to America, where it is owned. He takes them into Anfield, where many of the most important moments are defined, and he takes them on to the pitches of the Premier League and the Champions League, culminating in victory in Madrid, as we revisit how one of Liverpool's greatest seasons was written.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56290911125877,"sku":"9780552176774","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780552176774_5c36ba87-8b30-4a74-9003-042b6c29fcd4.jpg?v=1786013647"},{"product_id":"9780552174183","title":"The Secret Footballer: What Physio Saw...","description":"He's back - and this time he's got company. The Secret Footballer has teamed up with one of the most highly respected physios in the game to bring you the stories of a football season through the eyes of someone who has covered over 1000 games in his career and who knows the most intimate details about every player he treats.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the pre-season pressures of a new manager and players who have overindulged on their summer breaks, to witnessing some truly horrific (and sometimes career-ending) injuries; from star players who think nothing of using him as their personal family doctor to revealing some of the more unconventional treatments players choose to experiment with, the physio has truly seen it all.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlongside this privileged glimpse into the physio's world, The Secret Footballer will be telling his own tales of injury, pain and perseverance with his trademark insight and wit.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56291197354357,"sku":"9780552174183","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780552174183_ef75af98-96a0-4ae8-a6de-776e2d71a074.jpg?v=1786013534"},{"product_id":"9780571280667","title":"Red or Dead","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A masterpiece.' \u003ci\u003eObserver\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eMunichs \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Damned Utd\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e*Now a major production at the Royal Court, Liverpool, starring Peter Mullan*\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn  1959, Liverpool Football Club were in the Second Division. Liverpool  Football Club had never won the FA Cup. Fifteen seasons later, Liverpool  Football Club had won three League titles, two FA Cups and the UEFA  Cup. Liverpool Football Club had become the most consistently successful  team in England. And the most passionately supported club. Their  manager was revered as a god.Destined for immortality. Their manager was  Bill Shankly. His job was his life. His life was football. His  football a form of socialism. Bill Shankly inspired people. Bill Shankly  transformed people. The players and the supporters.His legacy would  reveberate through the ages.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1974, Liverpool Football  Club and Bill Shankly stood on the verge of even greater success. In  England and in Europe. But in 1974, Bill Shankly shocked Liverpool and  football. Bill Shankly resigned. Bill Shankly retired.\u003cbr\u003e           \u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRed or Dead\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of the rise of Liverpool Football Club and Bill Shankly. And the story of the retirement of Bill Shankly. Of one man and his work. And of the man after that work. A man in two halves. Home and away. Red or dead.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56291343073653,"sku":"9780571280667","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780571280667_0518d9da-c42d-43ea-8b67-e23d43339a64.jpg?v=1786014205"},{"product_id":"9780571295128","title":"And the Sun Shines Now","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWINNER OF THE NEW WRITER AWARD AT THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARDS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE, THE GORDON BURN PRIZE AND FOOTBALL BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARDS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFEATURED IN THE OBSERVER'S SPORTS WRITERS' BOOKS OF THE YEAR\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd the Sun Shines Now\u003c\/i\u003e is a book about why Hillsborough happened, and how the flawed response to the disaster created a 'whole new ball game' but destroyed a culture. The Taylor Report. All-seater stadia. Police lies. Political neglect. Murdoch. The oligarchs. And an FA plan to gentrify football. But what happens when you take the people's game away from the people? What happens to the game, and what happens to the people? Powerful, funny, soulful and brutal, Adrian Tempany's acclaimed book exposes the real cost of the modern game . . . and the forces that shaped it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56291610886517,"sku":"9780571295128","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780571295128_29e43b2d-2a1d-401a-941c-e4409981d9c7.jpg?v=1786014565"},{"product_id":"9780552169950","title":"Twelve Yards","description":"\u003cp\u003eIt shouldn't be that hard, should it? It's just a matter of placing a ball into a goal measuring eight feet high and eight yards wide, with only a six-foot man able to stop you. Yet the humble penalty kick has produced an inordinate amount of drama, trauma, boundless joy and shattered dreams since its invention in the late 19th century. And it is not just England who have suffered at its hands.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eTwelve Yards\u003c\/i\u003e, Ben Lyttleton tells the definitive story of the spot-kick - how to take them, how not to miss them, and the different ways that penalty-takers and goalkeepers approach them, both physically and mentally. And everyone has a tale to tell. Why did Roberto Baggio miss in the 1994 World Cup final? How did Petr Cech dive the right way six times running to help Chelsea win the 2012 Champions League final? What would have happened if Antonin Panenka had missed his famous penalty in 1976? And what has John Wayne got to do with penalties?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBreaking down the statistical likelihood of scoring to within an inch of its life, while weaving together exclusive anecdotes from legends of the penalty with intriguing revelations by psychologists and sports scientists, this is the book that finally provides the answers to one of football's oldest questions. How do you score from twelve yards?\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56292013965685,"sku":"9780552169950","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780552169950_15d6dcdc-d38c-4880-bc9e-a2a5ea51dad0.jpg?v=1786013396"},{"product_id":"9780552177740","title":"The Greatest Games","description":"\u003cb\u003e'Essential reading for players, fans and coaches' - Steven Gerrard \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLiverpool 4-0 Barcelona 2019\u003cbr\u003eMan United 2-1 Bayern Munich 1999\u003cbr\u003eAC Milan 3 - 3 Liverpool 2005\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAre these the greatest games ever played? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom Jurgen Klopp to Gary Neville, Xavi to David Beckham, Jamie Carragher speaks with teammates, rivals, managers and legends of the sport to identify and analyse football's greatest encounters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs Carra and his contributors take you into the dressing rooms and out onto the pitches of the world's most celebrated stadiums, they relive some of the defining moments of their playing careers as well as many more from the greatest football matches ever played - from title deciders and cup finals to against-all-odds comebacks, tactical masterclasses and old school classics. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePacked full of hilariously stories, exclusive anecdotes and refreshing appraisals, in \u003ci\u003eThe Greatest Games\u003c\/i\u003e Jamie Carragher takes you into the heart of these matches, revealing new insights into the teams, players and coaches that have shaped football.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56292048208245,"sku":"9780552177740","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780552177740_f36e7d08-43e6-4f37-a8ed-0a8bf5d81109.jpg?v=1786013701"},{"product_id":"9780750998796","title":"How Britain Brought Football to the World","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Delighted to learn from this very enjoyable new book that the first ever game of football played in Austria was won by the Vienna Cricket Club.'\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - Tom Holland, Historian and Broadcaster\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHave we matched Wembley 1966 and 2022, or lost again on penalties?\u003c\/strong\u003e As a football fan in the Home Nations, there is at least one thing of which you can be sure. Even if sometimes other countries play it better than us, they’ll forever have to thank Britain for the fun, the excitement, the tragedy, the triumph, the pain, the pleasure and the sheer gloriousness of the best sport in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, it was Britain that first spread the beautiful game across the world. Cornish miners took football skills along with their pasties to Mexico; Iraqi football legend Ammo Baba learnt the game at an RAF base; the Buenos Aires Cricket Club gave the world Argentine football; and Romanian dentist Iuliu Weiner got not one an English education but a passion for football too.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a book about football, yes, but it is also a book about all the countries of the world, about shared passion and shared humanity. It’s \u003cem\u003eHow Britain Brought Football to the World.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294645891445,"sku":"9780750998796","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780750998796_e79448e8-5495-46ab-8a2d-9ffb35b2a63c.jpg?v=1786014799"},{"product_id":"9780751539110","title":"Manchester United: The Biography","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e75 MILLION FANS. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAN ANNUAL INCOME OF MORE THAN £500 MILLION. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAND A STORY THAT HAS NEVER FULLY BEEN TOLD - UNTIL NOW. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A wonderfully entertaining history' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunday Telegraph \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'When \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ehistorians\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e 1,000 years from now try to fathom the cult of Manchester United Football Club, White will be a good place to start' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eFinancial Times \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMANCHESTER UNITED: THE BIOGRAPHY \u003c\/b\u003econtains everything a football fan needs to know about the club, from its birth in the smog-bound mud of Newton Heath to the Theatre of Dreams. From the solid yeomanry of Lancelot Holliday Richardson, through the gilded days of Law, Best and Charlton, to the dazzling artistry of Cristiano Ronaldo and becoming 20-time English football champions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAward-winning journalist and lifelong red Jim White brings the history of this extraordinary club to life - unofficial and unbiased, it is written with the passion of a true fan.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294656278901,"sku":"9780751539110","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780751539110_a1070e27-23b2-4da9-9a98-ced483a13338.jpg?v=1786015035"},{"product_id":"9780752444505","title":"Fulham Football Club 1879-1979: Images of Sport","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFulham FC is the oldest professional club in London and an established Premiership side.\u003c\/strong\u003e This book offers a look at the club's history until 1970, including the time they played in the First Division, and players such as England captain Johnny Haynes, Bobby Robson and World Cup winner George Cohen.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294688293237,"sku":"9780752444505","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780752444505_ae5e6ace-8ba8-423b-8407-e4c15aa630cf.jpg?v=1786016267"},{"product_id":"9780755360970","title":"We Are Celtic Supporters","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn We Are Celtic Supporters Richard Purden examines what created the culture, ideas and beliefs around Celtic football club. In new and exclusive interviews with supporters, he explores the Celtic way of life and the rich traditions that give context to much of the support while deconstructing some myths along the way. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a travelling supporter he visits a variety of fans in locations such as New York, Spain, Germany, Italy and various parts of the UK. He talks to well-known Celtic supporters such as James MacMillan about the often misrepresented Catholic roots, to Pat Nevin about why he fell out of love with the club and to a number of well-known rock 'n' rollers such as Noel Gallagher, Bobby Gillespie and Johnny Marr. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe Are Celtic Supporters gives the inside story of how major events in Celtic's history have shaped the identity of the fans, and what it really means to follow this unique football club.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294760874357,"sku":"9780755360970","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780755360970_0ccdcb3c-0146-48d7-80db-f9a5a3dcf1f7.jpg?v=1786016144"},{"product_id":"9780857388148","title":"Does Your Rabbi Know You're Here?","description":"Ever since the children of penniless immigrants caught the train from Whitechapel to White Hart Lane - to be greeted with the refrain: 'Does Your Rabbi Know You're Here?' - this forgotten tribe have helped to shape the Beautiful Game. In telling the fascinating lives of these largely unsung trailblazers, Clavane uncovers a hidden history of Jewish involvement in English football. From Louis Bookman, the first Jew to play in England's top division, to the pugnacious winger Mark Lazarus, whose last-gasp goal won the 1967 League Cup for QPR, to shady figures like One-Armed Lou, a ticket tout who never told the story of his missing limb the same way twice, through to the businessmen who helped form the breakaway Premier League, and in the process changed the English game for ever.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56295315997045,"sku":"9780857388148","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780857388148_0a263e20-ef6d-4b74-a59e-f4de2b9edc9e.jpg?v=1786016233"},{"product_id":"9780857501011","title":"The Last Champions","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen the Leeds United players celebrated winning the championship in April 1992, they had no idea how momentous the occasion was. Manchester United, losers at Liverpool that Sunday afternoon, had now gone 25 years without winning the league. Howard Wilkinson's side, promoted just two seasons ago, could bring back the glory days to Leeds. But Wilkinson would prove to be the last English manager to win the league. In 1992, football changed beyond all recognition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Last Champions\u003c\/i\u003e explores the roots of that success and the amazing cast of characters who came together to fashion the triumph. As in his acclaimed book \u003ci\u003eThe Fallen\u003c\/i\u003e, Dave Simpson's quest to catch up with the protagonists of the era, from the visionary Sergeant Wilko, top scorer Lee Chapman and unsung heroes like Mike Whitlow and Carl Shutt (not forgetting Eric Cantona), sees him unearth some extraordinary untold stories.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd he finds that The Last Champions were also the last ordinary people to win the league, before the Premier League saw skyrocketing wages, billionaire foreign owners and the dictates of television taking the game away from the fans. It is the brilliantly told story of the end of an era.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56295340081525,"sku":"9780857501011","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780857501011_bef03026-b9a2-44fa-85ea-440a2518d734.jpg?v=1786015758"},{"product_id":"9780857503206","title":"Two Tribes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCup Final Day, 1986, and the eyes of the world are on Liverpool and Everton as they walk out on to Wembley’s lush green turf. Pumped with pride and passion, the two best teams in Europe are about to engage in a gladiatorial battle in front of 100,000 fanatical supporters. But this is not just another match, another cup final. On this warm day in May, the future of English football – and a city’s reputation – is on the line.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA year before this momentous Cup Final, Liverpool fans had been involved in the Heysel disaster. Thirty-nine people had died in the decaying stadium – a tragedy which cast a long, dark shadow over the sport. English clubs were banned from Continental competition, and football reached its lowest point. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTony Evans’s \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTwo Tribes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e recalls the tumultuous 1985\/86 season and the titanic struggle for supremacy between the two great Merseyside clubs. Set against a backdrop of social and political turmoil, it reveals the full impact of Thatcher’s policies, the vibrant northwest music scene and the burgeoning anti-establishment vibe on the streets and on the terraces. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGiving voice to players, managers, politicians and musicians, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTwo Tribes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e follows the remarkable twists and turns of a season and how Merseysiders took over London for one unforgettable day with deafening chants of ‘\u003ci\u003eMerseyside!\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eMerseyside!\u003c\/i\u003e’ ringing around  Wembley Stadium. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUltimately, this is the story of Liverpool’s renaissance and Everton’s private agony, masked by a show of solidarity and communal spirit on the day, and how a season which began in shame ended in pride.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56295340867957,"sku":"9780857503206","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780857503206_548b78af-5e70-4261-b31d-5564e01d81ee.jpg?v=1786015792"},{"product_id":"9780857503251","title":"The Crazy Gang","description":"\u003cp\u003e'If we can sell Newcastle Brown to Japan, and if Wimbledon can make it to the First Division, there is surely no achievement beyond our reach.' Margaret Thatcher\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Crazy Gang is the story of a football miracle. Promoted to the Football League in 1977, Wimbledon FC was a small team from south London that against the odds went all the way to the top of the First Division, then to win the FA Cup, in only just over a decade. With no money, scant resources and a blend of youth players and offcuts from other clubs, they were christened 'Rag-Arse Rovers'. They played hard on the pitch and partied hard off it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDave 'Harry' Bassett was the manager who drilled a fierce fighting spirit into his players, an unbreakable team ethos, but he was also an underrated master tactician and pioneer of innovative training methods. Wally Downes was the midfield fulcrum of the Dons, but also the ringleader for the various acts of debauchery and general silliness that earned the club their reputation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Crazy Gang\u003c\/i\u003e, Harry and Wally are joined by a host of former Wimbledon players and staff, both famous names like Vinnie Jones, Lawrie Sanchez and Dave Beasant, but also unsung heroes in the club's history, to tell it as it really was. This is real football, the way fans remember it, and a world away from multimillionaire Premier League primadonnas.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56295349649781,"sku":"9780857503251","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780857503251_b1bd7bf6-bee9-47d3-a7bb-2f36841cce97.jpg?v=1786015796"},{"product_id":"9781035427642","title":"World Football Records 2026","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe best-selling collection of football facts, stats and stories is back for another fantastic new edition!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eWorld Football Records 2026\u003c\/i\u003e offers lively, fun and fascinating facts and stats from the world of international football. Focusing on all the major world and continental tournaments, national team records, exceptional matches and the stars who made it all possible, this exhaustively researched annual tells the stories of these key moments and the players and teams behind them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis new edition includes updated stats and facts for all recent major tournaments, awards and international teams. You'll also find the latest record-breaking achievements of more than 35 featured nations from around the world, including a sidebar with key stats, as well as updates and records for all the other FIFA members.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56296053145973,"sku":"9781035427642","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781035427642_82801460-fd65-4130-b4a5-2b1362c04dcc.jpg?v=1786016948"},{"product_id":"9781035421893","title":"The Official History of the FIFA Women's World Cup","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Official History of the FIFA Women's World Cup\u003c\/i\u003e is the definitive, authorised account of the world's biggest women's football tournament.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFully updated to include Australia \u0026amp; New Zealand 2023 and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games\u003c\/b\u003e, this lavish visual history is packed with more than \u003cb\u003e800 stunning photographs\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eunique official documents\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003efascinating statistics\u003c\/b\u003e. It's a celebration of women's football like no other.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn addition to \u003cb\u003egame-by-game reviews \u003c\/b\u003eof every Women's World Cup and Summer Olympic Games Women's Football tournaments, this volume contains an extensive history of women's football, exploring its development and spread around the world from its origins in the late 19th century to the present day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExhaustively researched by the experts at the \u003cb\u003eFIFA Museum in Zurich\u003c\/b\u003e, this is a beautifully packaged resource for anyone who loves women's football.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56296143389045,"sku":"9781035421893","price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781035421893_f84fd428-9fc7-4552-a4e3-ad13e39c51f8.jpg?v=1786016814"},{"product_id":"9780750996594","title":"A History of the Women's FA Cup Final","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eA History of the Women’s FA Cup Final\u003c\/em\u003e is an exhaustive account of fifty finals, from the first (on a bumpy field inside an athletics stadium) to the fiftieth (at Wembley, televised to millions), complete with match reports and interviews with some of the greatest players ever to grace the pitch.\u003c\/strong\u003e Every women’s FA Cup Final goal scorer can be confirmed in one place for the first time, and the achievements of previously unknown record holders can at last be fully recognised.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut this is more than just a stats book; it is a tribute to the pioneers of the game, who fought to overturn a fifty-year ban on female players and who paved the way for the incredible game we have today.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56297052602741,"sku":"9780750996594","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780750996594_4eeb0c51-1ca0-402f-97b1-26be25dd56bb.jpg?v=1786014731"},{"product_id":"9781398114197","title":"Leeds United in the 1980s and 1990s","description":"For Leeds United fans of a certain age, the 1980s are the dark ages, the wilderness years between the collapse of the team that Don Revie built and the rebirth brought to Elland Road by Howard Wilkinson in the 1990s. That was when Leeds United were, for a time, once again the best team in the country. It was before Wilkinson sold Eric Cantona to the hated Manchester United and then lost his way and his job. Success came too early and too quickly for Wilkinson’s own good. When the Caspian Group bought out the club in 1996 they had eyes only for George Graham and gave him the chance to redeem himself from his ‘bung’ controversy. When Graham high-tailed it off back to London, David O’Leary succeeded him and built a brand-new and very exciting team around his ‘Babies’.The 1980s were grim and grey days when Margaret Thatcher held sway. Leeds United imploded before Wilkinson came to lead the club back to the Promised Land and a completely unexpected league championship triumph in 1992. And how we partied when Wilko delivered the Holy Grail.This is the tale of how Don Revie’s paradise was lost, how Leeds collapsed into the Second Division, almost made it to the FA Cup final and promotion in 1987 before Billy Bremner was sacked and chairman Leslie Silver recruited Howard Wilkinson from Sheffield Wednesday to develop a new legacy. These are the years when the First Division gave way to the Premier League, when money and television changed everything and football became a business rather than the people’s game.This book covers the period from 1980 to 2000 when Leeds United crashed and burned and rose from the ashes to become the last English First Division champions.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56297913287029,"sku":"9781398114197","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398114197_12d98e9c-6533-48bb-91cc-2565179bf7fc.jpg?v=1786017957"},{"product_id":"9781399008624","title":"The History of Women's Football","description":"A complete history of women’s football, from its Victorian games beginning in 1881, to the plans for England to host the Euro Finals in England 2022, this book demonstrates how women’s football began as a professional sport, and has only recently returned to these professional roots in the UK. This is because there was a fifty-year Football Association ‘ban’ on women playing on pitches affiliated to the governing body in England. The other British associations followed suit.Why was women’s football banned in 1921? Why did it take until 1969 for a Women’s Football Association to form? Why did it take until 1995 for England to qualify for a Women’s World Cup? Answers to these key questions are supplemented across the chapters by personal accounts of the players who defied the ban, at home and abroad, along with the personal costs, and rewards, of being footballing pioneers.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298175955317,"sku":"9781399008624","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781399008624_033ff796-1d29-4b76-8c8b-c2251208f53a.jpg?v=1786019615"},{"product_id":"9781399404068","title":"The Silence of the Stands","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023\u003cbr\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2023 - FOOTBALL BOOK OF THE YEAR\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Powerful and poignant’ Henry Winter\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Empathetic and poignant … the game’s answer to \u003ci\u003eA Journal of the Plague Year\u003c\/i\u003e’ Harry Pearson\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e‘The Durham City midfielder wore the resigned look of a man trying to find a jar of harissa in Farmfoods. Up front for Jarrow, a centre-forward darted around frenetically, as if chasing a kite during a hurricane...’\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen football disappeared in March 2020, writer and broadcaster Daniel Gray used its absence to reflect on everything the game meant to him. That bred a pledge: whenever and wherever fans were allowed to return, he would be there. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Silence of the Stands\u003c\/i\u003e is the result of that pledge: a joyous travelogue documenting a precarious season, in which behind-closed-doors matches and travel restrictions combined to make trips to Kendal and Workington seem impossibly exotic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOffering a poignant peek at a surreal age and a slab of social history from the two-metre-distanced tea bar queue, this is the moving, heartfelt and surprisingly uplifting story of a unique season that no one wishes to repeat.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298284482933,"sku":"9781399404068","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781399404068_92b38c66-95af-45bf-9ba7-df8190b9c279.jpg?v=1786019179"},{"product_id":"9781398123298","title":"Luton Town's Miracle","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor five seasons from 2009 to 2014 Luton Town FC was marooned in non-League football. A club that had earlier enjoyed several spells in the English game’s top flight had slumped to this low point due to mismanagement, financial irregularities and crippling points deductions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter repeated bouts of play-off pain in the Conference, a return to the League was secured in 2014 – the start of an astonishing upward journey that saw Luton soar to the Premier League in only nine years. This book chronicles, month by month, the miraculous progress during those years as this club, with its tiny budget, achieved something unique in football in less than a decade.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA nail-biting penalty shoot-out victory in the 2023 Championship play-off final at Wembley meant Luton won the right to host some of the world’s richest clubs, in arguably the world’s most competitive league, at their humble, ancient and tiny Kenilworth Road ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRob Hadgraft, a season-ticket holder at Luton for five decades, tells the story that would be widely acknowledged in the media as ‘football’s greatest fairytale’, ‘miraculous’ and ‘against all odds’. He tells it from the viewpoint of a committed follower, mixing humour with the more serious background aspects of the journey.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298337337717,"sku":"9781398123298","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781398123298_7ae76644-1702-4ee9-bf54-a5d0ba2efca1.jpg?v=1786018296"},{"product_id":"9781399634267","title":"Arne Slot: The New Era","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ch2\u003e The definitive biography of Arne Slot, covering Liverpool's triumphant 2024\/25 season, featuring exclusive interviews with Arne Slot, Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and more. \u003c\/h2\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e'The best insight yet into the Dutchman... a page-turner of a read that's a must-have for Liverpool supporters'\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cb\u003eDAILY MAIL\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool in June 2024, he proclaimed Arne Slot his successor with a chant that rang around Anfield. The expectations were raised for the man who would succeed the greatest Liverpool manager of the modern era, but Slot's start to life in Merseyside could not have gone any better. By the end of the 2024-25 season, the Reds had triumphantly won the Premier League, with players like Mohamed Salah, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister regularly putting in career defining performances. Arne Slot was the Kop's new hero. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMikos Gouka has had unparalleled access to Slot, his former and current players, rival coaches and Slot's family and friends for the last two decades, allowing him to construct an impeccable biography that delves into the Dutchman's life and managerial career. From his early years as a coach at Cambuur and AZ Alkmaar to how he flourished at Feyenoord, where he developed his distinct tactical philosophy, before making the switch to Anfield, Gouka reveals everything. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe chronicles Slot's first full season at Liverpool, based on exclusive interviews with current Liverpool players, staff and Arne Slot, offering insight into the new ideas and methods that Slot has introduced on the training pitches of Kirkby, delving into the tactical evolution of the team over the course of the season as the Reds battled for Premier League glory.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBased on exclusive interviews with Slot himself, Gouka has created an intimate and all-encompassing biography of the newest manager to join football's elite.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298393502069,"sku":"9781399634267","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781399634267_098a4db8-b331-40cc-b67e-a217535825dd.jpg?v=1786019974"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/football.oembed?page=2","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}